Steve Mann, the “father of wearable computing,” has been physically assaulted while visiting a McDonalds in Paris, France.

The Canadian university professor was at the restaurant with his family when three different McDonalds employees took exception to his “Digital Eye Glass” device and attempted to forcibly remove it from his head. Mann was then physically removed from the store by the employees, along with having his support documentation destroyed.

This may be the first ever recorded assault of a person instigated by the prominent display of a Google Glass-like wearable computer.

The incident is particularly troubling, not only because Mann’s device is very similar to Google Glass, but because the assault could be a harbinger of things to come as the technology becomes increasingly prominent.

This is EXACTLY the same as discriminating against and attacking an individual because they are wearing an artificial limb, braces on teeth, hearing aid, false teeth, a pace maker, glasses, sitting in a mobility scooter, wheel chair, etc. Perhaps every single person with any kind of physical impairment should be tattooed?

It is my understanding that the McD’s in question - like many in France - has a sign on the door expressly prohibiting photography. Since his device is very much a camera, they may hve felt ‘justified’ in removing it.

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